Replacing vs Rebuilding Tank Valves

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Personally, I'm not a huge fan of either. They each (FL vs. Maine Lobster) have a slightly different taste. I prefer fish or scallops or crab or even shrimp over lobster.
Yeah I agree, crabs, scallops, fish, crawfish (cajun) I could do every day.. lobster is good every once in a while
 
I could do every day.. lobster is good every once in a while
I don't eat myself, 90% of the bugs I catch. I cook them into chilled chunks for meetings/parties or frozen tails given to neighbors as 'thankyou-s'.

Apologies to @MrChen for the thread hijack I'm responsible for.

Steak-Lob_bowls-ChunkSize.jpg
 
Honest answer....

Politics....more specifically "fishing politics"
Tools for catching lobsters (diving, not traps) in the "old days' were hand grabs, stick&nets, & bleach bottles {ugly but true}. For lobsters it has been trappers (90% of capture) and divers (10% of capture). Finger pointing has gone back and forth on which "tools" are allowed including many different traps or 'un-attended/soaking' devices that also catch fish. It's a very complex issue but current rules have been stable in FLA for about 3-4 decades. In Maine, Non-residents can't dive for lobsters, but in FLA everyone can dive for them. Politics.

The 2nd part of your question is location- Florida vs Northern states. The answer to that is simply the gulf stream and different species. Technically we don't have lobsters in florida, we have 'Crawfish". Maine has lobsters. The gulf stream bring all the baby lobsters into florida and they are called Recruits. 98% of our lobsters are born outside of florida and arrive via the central america gulf stream. You could theoretically remove all the Florida lobsters from the water and it would begin repopulating immediately with recruits from central america riding the gulf stream up. It's almost impossible to 100% make them extinct. This is not the same as Maine lobsters that are only located in those northern states.

Now someone is going to say 'what about california ??'. I don't have an answer.

Excellent information!!! I learned something useful today on SB, thank you!
 
I don't eat myself, 90% of the bugs I catch. I cook them into chilled chunks for meetings/parties or frozen tails given to neighbors as 'thankyou-s'.

Apologies to @MrChen for the thread hijack I'm responsible for.

View attachment 786184
Oh cool... the neighborhood must love you. Good way to keep people happy!
 
Well since the thread is hijacked. I used to prefer the cold water critter but now after having become a decent bug hunter ( no way will I get as good as @Johnoly). I prefer the warm water version. Caught this monster last season by hand on a wreck dive.

Monster Bug.jpg

Back to original topic. I follow the method @Divin'Papaw uses buy valves on sale and swap at hydro. I take mine to the hydro shop myself because I get a quicker turn around 1 to 2 days instead of a week or more. Tank goes in with old valve when I pickup the new one goes on before I take it for vis local shop knows no difference and I save $30+ over what they charge for a new valve.
 
.....Caught this monster last season
Nice Bug !!. If you catch another big lobster that makes you scream underwater while putting it in your bag, I know one of the premier lobster taxidermy specialist on the SE florida coast. She is arguably the best at true colors and technique. Doesn't matter if you are missing a leg or broke an antenna, she's got extra to match it. Cost ranges from $200 to $400 depending on size, work needed, and accessories wanted. I have one monster crawling up my stone fireplace and everyone comments on it & a zillion dive questions.

Aqua Maureen at Florida Lobster Taxidermy

lobster_Taxidermy.jpg
 
Nice Bug !!. If you catch another big lobster that makes you scream underwater while putting it in your bag, I know one of the premier lobster taxidermy specialist on the SE florida coast. She is arguably the best at true colors and technique. Doesn't matter if you are missing a leg or broke an antenna, she's got extra to match it. Cost ranges from $200 to $400 depending on size, work needed, and accessories wanted. I have one monster crawling up my stone fireplace and everyone comments on it & a zillion dive questions.

Aqua Maureen at Florida Lobster Taxidermy

View attachment 789026
Does that mean you don't get to eat it?
 
Does that mean you don't get to eat it?
Unfortunately you don't. The 2 hardest parts of a lobster mount are the tricks to get all the meat out from the tiny joints so it doesn't stink up your house. The 2nd hard part is the preserving the shell's COLOR so it doesn't look washed out. Re-assembly is actually pretty easy.
 

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